Week 30: Craziness

This past week was awesome!

So our investigator family who we met because of a member's referral came again this week, and have attended all three hours of church and mutual every week since we met them! And they said they've all been reading the Book of Mormon, both alone and as a family! I'm so excited to see them progress as they continue to feel the love of the ward and the Lord in their daily lives. 😊

We also were asked to speak again at church yesterday in 24th ward and it turned  out one of the bishopric counselors brought a friend that he and his family had met at an airport 2 years ago and  they had had a gospel conversation with him and he had taken a few of the discussions and gone to church with them a couple of times, but nothing stuck at the time. But, now that he's going though a different stage in life he's been prepared and is looking to receive the gospel into his life, and we're going to be able to help him on that path of accepting it and following his Savior Jesus Christ!

There's only 3 weeks left in the transfer and, while I think it'd be fun to have a new adventure, I don't want to leave Nampa! 😥 We've worked so hard in this area to help these of Heavenly Father's children progress and learn of His Restored Gospel and we've found so many new people and taught them and  have had to watch some turn away from the truth, and to find these who actually accept and desire to have it is inspiring! But, I know that whatever happens it's the Lord's will and He knows what He needs in this part of His vineyard at this time, and Sister Bradshaw would do great if I left the area over to her care. 😊 She's a caring missionary, which is what all children of God need 😁✌

Anyways, I walked into the family history center today and an older couple came up to me and asked if I was Sister Wilcox and I was like, "Yes..?" and they pulled out their phone and showed em a picture and said, "Do you know these people?" and it was a picture of my family! With them! I was so surprised, I thought they had just taken it for a second and that my family was here but then I realized that that didn't make any sense and they explained that they had just come back from a vacation in Mexico, and they had gone on a Book of Mormon tour and they had spent 2 weeks with my family (and they said you were all well-behaved- and possibly a bit bored at times, haha 😉 gj)! They live in the stake right next to ours (which, being in Idaho, is only right down the street) so they said if we ever have an opening for dinner we can give them a call and they'd love to have us over! Since they live so close the zone leaders said it'd be okay! So mom, I might be getting to hear about all of your experiences vicariously through them! Cool, right?!

Anyways, I suppose the tender mercies of the Lord really are over all those whom he hath chosen because of their faith.. and diligence 😊

So keep on trucking!

Love you all- here are pictures of us at the mission office, the Swaynes that met both me and my family when they were in Guatemala visiting Book of Mormon sites, and some girls we teach that we gave CTR rings to!

😊✌💛

Sister Wilcox​

Week 29: Fasting works miracles

So last week we had a temple trip and we carpooled with the member we live with (Sister Welsh 💛) because she's awesome and we wanted to make a day of it with her. So she drove us there and we were talking and having a good time and she goes, "There's the temple!," and we look and it's the Boise temple! We had left mission boundaries because she thought we were going to the Boise temple instead of the Meridian one! We were like, "Oh, no!" and had to rush over to the Meridian one to make it to the session on time. We did and everything worked out okay, but we just won't tell President that we were out of our mission for a detour (and we got to see 2 temples in one day, so that was fun! 😌😂). That's why there was no email last week: pday was all out of whack!

But, things are normal again now. :)

So last week we taught a family who a member referred and they had just moved here and were looking for a church so we invited them to ours and taught them the Restoration and they came! Unfortunately, however, all of the members of that ward have been fasting with our 40-day ward fast for missionary opportunities and when they saw a family, decided to go up and bear their testimony on fasting and how they've been fasting and praying for a family to come to church and that THIS FAMILY (and called them out from the pulpit! multiple times!) was an answer to their prayers!

Sister Bradshaw and I were laughing so hard, we couldn't believe that this was really happening. We thought all was lost (as no one likes being called out from the pulpit, especially not by strangers on your first day at a news church), but went back to their house this past Saturday to see what they thought, and, though they were slightly overwhelmed, said that they were planning on going again and giving it a second try! We were so glad, and went they came to church yesterday everything went a lot smoother and hopefully they'll keep having that desire to come and to learn more about their Savior and His Restored gospel! They've also gotten their kids involved in scouts and mutual already, so it's all looking good!

Members are essential in the success of missionary work, whether it's referring those you know who've recently moved in, referring friends who you know are going through a hard time or who you've been working with to prepare them to meet with the missionaries, or reaching out to those who the missionaries have already found to help them feel welcomed, your effort helps a lot! And when we all work together to make every Sunday experience a good one, miracles can happen!

Love you all,

Sister Wilcox

Maybe there is a bit of time for pics :) Click on the picture for a better view.

1.  Chalked sidewalk.

2. 6 lbs of gummy bears- we went to Costco!
3. Meridian Temple

4. Our zone going to the temple  :)

5. Pokemon missionary

lol

Week 28: No letter this week

We were at the temple on P-Day so we didn't have time to write a letter. Expect one with pictures next week!

Week 27: Transfers

This week is transfers (so p-day was moved to Tuesday) and next week we get to go to the Meridian temple as a zone! (so p-day will be Friday). It's a long stretch, but well worth it for the temple! It'll be cool to go inside now that's it's dedicated, after all of those hours of helping with the open house!

Sister Bradshaw is still being trained, so we're both staying in Nampa, and I'm glad. I love the people here and it's too soon to leave! She just started driving, so I'm happy (it stresses me out; and I got a ticket 😑 so that stunk) but things have been going great with the work!

This Thursday, we planned on doing our weekly planning and then wanted to catch up on 12-week training (for new missionaries) and, just as we were about to start, the other Sisters called needing our help for something. So, we dropped everything and went and helped them for a bit, then, when we got home, attempted once more to start our planning. Again, however, as we were about to start, we got a text from one of our investigators saying she wasn't feeling well and we offered to find someone to give her a priesthood blessing! She said that that sounded good and we spent the next hour or so helping her with that. Then, after the blessing, she asked if we could help her out with dinner. She gave us a soup recipe that we offered to help her make for dinner and ran to Wal-Mart for some of the ingredients. One our way out, we saw a needy woman with a sign that said, "Single Mom, Anything Helps," so, naturally, we went and bought her a hot chocolate and when we went back to give it to her we had a long discussion with her about where she was from and her story and she said she was familiar with the church and had recently thought about going, and saw this as a sign that she should! We gave her a Book of Mormon and said we'd pass her info on to the missionaries that cover her area and she was excited about learning more about the peace and comfort that comes through Christ our Savior! 😁 It was cool to see how the Lord made us instruments in His hands to bless and find His children who were in need, even though it wasn't what we had originally planned on doing that day. As we were willing to go where He wanted us to go, simply by being willing to help those in need, He let us see His hand in the guidance He gave to us that led us to touch the lives of people we didn't even know! But He knew them! And He knew we'd listen and would help them. 😊

In Bunnell, some of our missionaries a couple of years ago did a 40-day ward fast for missionary opportunities that ended on Easter Sunday (which my mom signed our family up for the last day, so we were all sitting in our beds listening to General Conference with chocolate tempting us downstairs all day long that Easter) but miracles came! So, we suggested it to our ward council a while ago in the ward that we cover that has a bit less work going on, and as the families have been fasting day-to-day, the miracles have been coming! 😊 (and, again, we have the last day on General Conference and Easter Sunday 😌)

One miracle was that a referral that we finally were able to contact, we taught the first discussion to, and they've moved in recently and are looking for a church to go to and said they'd come with us next week, and, also, that they'll read and ponder the Book of Mormon for themselves and they'll ask God if it is His word! I'm excited for them to add to the truths they treasure and to come to know their Savior and His gospel even more through the revealed truths that were restored through the prophet Joseph Smith that are found within the Book of Mormon. 😊

We also were trying to contact some potential we met a few weeks ago, and decided to knock on the house next door when they didn't answer, and a Christian family was home who, though the parents said they weren't super interested themselves, their 9 year old daughter, R, said she wanted to learn more and they said it's her choice and gave us their number so we could come back and teach her. When we saw her outside playing a few days later, she thanked us for the Book of Mormon we had given her and said that she was still super excited for us to come back!

As we teach her, I hope the Spirit will bring the truth of our message to the hearts of her parents as well, so they can all draw closer to their Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ and they can all choose to make those covenants that will allow them to be together as a family forever and have everlasting joy and eternal life. 😊

Also, Jaidyn's baptism is this Saturday morning! I'm excited for her to enter the gate of baptism and embark on the straight and narrow path that leads to endless peace and comfort and blessings from her Savior and her loving Father in Heaven!

I invite all of you to look for ways to be the Lord's instruments this week by simply being willing to lift others who are in need, and I know the Lord will use you as an instrument in His hands to bring forth mighty good in the world and to touch those who are hurting or in need!

Love you all- sorry it got long,

Sister Wilcox

 

 1. Bailey is the cutest guard dog- she sits on her chair and watches out the front window 24/7! She's adorable 😊

2. Cutest calendar everrr! Thanks family!

 

3. Reindeer thingy I saw..

 

4. We thought the horse was dead..... it was just sleeping apparently. 🙄

 

5. Sister Jensen is going home! 😭💛